POWER OF ATTORNEY

To Sign and File Reports under Section 16(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
under Rule 144 or any other Filings Required,
including Form ID and Schedule 13D,
Under the Federal Securities Laws
With Respect to Securities of Mine Safety Appliances Company


KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints Douglas K. McClaine or the Secretary and General Counsel of
Mine Safety Appliances Company ("MSA"), Dennis L. Zeitler or the Vice
President-Finance of MSA and Nelson W. Winter, and each of them, his
or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power
of substitution, for the undersigned and in the undersigned's name,
place and stead, to sign any and all reports of the undersigned under
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, under Rule 144
or any other filings required, including Form ID and Schedule 13D,
under the Federal Securities Laws with respect to securities of MSA,
and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents
or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.  The undersigned
acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in
such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming
any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with the Federal
Securities Laws.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in effect unless and until notice
of its revocation shall have been filed by the undersigned with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed and delivered this
Power of Attorney the date set forth below.

Date:  February 8, 2007


SIGNATURE:  /s/Robert A. Bruggeworth

PRINT NAME: Robert A. Bruggeworth